Welcome to the National Rail Timetable valid from Sunday 09 Dec 2012 to Saturday 18 May 2013. Chiltern Railways We have introduced a new timetable with significant alterations to provide a regular interval service throughout the day. At peak times, where the most significant changes occur, the new timetable is intended to: •Reduce gaps and intervals •Offer a memorable pattern of service •Increase the number of seats available, with over 600 additional seats provided in the morning peak period •Enable further improvements in punctuality Weekend services also have major changes and our Silver Trains will now also be used on Saturdays and Sundays, providing more comfortable journeys for weekend travellers between the West Midlands and London. East Midland Trains There are significant changes after 1200 to the mainline Sunday timetable, resulting in improved journey times. Greater Anglia Early weekday morning Romford to Upminster services now run on the standard half-hourly pattern (Table 4). With the substantial reduction in weekend engineering work on the London to Norwich line at weekends in 2013, as a consequence early Sunday morning serviceson the London to Gidea Park and Shenfield line are replaced by buses until about 0830 for the duration of the timetable (Table 5). The through summer Saturday trains from London to Great Yarmouth will be reintroduced on 25 May and run until 28 September (Table 11). With the new passing loop at Beccles now in operation, an hourly service has been introduced on the entire East Suffolk line from Ipswich to Lowestoft on Mondays to Saturdays by extending the Ipswich-Saxmundham trains to/from Lowestoft (Table 13). A new earlier Sunday train in each direction runs between Ipswich and Cambridge (Table 14). London Midland Trains London Midland will make several changes from December 2012 in the first phase of 'Project 110', increasing the top speed of our trains to 110mph. As a result journey times between Crewe and London in both directions will be significantly reduced, trains calling only at Milton Keynes Central between Rugby and London Euston (Monday to Saturday). The 05.18 departure from Crewe to Rugby will be extended to London; there will also be a connection into this train for passengers from Stafford, changing at Rugeley Trent Valley. Other departure times from Crewe will change. There will be extra trains from London to Crewe at 16.46, 17.24 and 20.13 (Monday to Friday). The Sunday service on this route remains unaltered. On Sundays we will introduce an improved service on the Hereford-Birmingham route. There will be trains every two hours in both directions, with further trains between Birmingham and Worcester only in the afternoon. All trains on Sundays will call additionally at University. London Overground The London Overground network has a new line extension opening between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction. On the Highbury & Islington to West Croydon/ Clapham Junction line all services will run 7 days a week, up to 4 trains per hour between: •Highbury & Islington and Clapham Junction •Highbury & Islington and Crystal Palace 2•Dalston Junction and New Cross •Dalston Junction and West Croydon As a result of the above four services, up to 16 trains per hour will run between Dalston Junction and Surrey Quays. ScotRail Paisley Canal goes electric, and during the day, Glasgow-Ayr will have two fast trains per hour, with two stopping trains running alternately to Irvine or Ayr. Dunlop and Kilmaurs become calls in all Kilmarnock services, and the London-Fort William Sleeper calls additionally in both directions at Dumbarton Central. There are new daytime trains on weekdays between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh via Carstairs, an earlier service from Shotts line stations into Edinburgh and a first-ever all-year Sunday service throughout the Shotts route. Our services to Dunbar will now run additionally on Saturdays. Highland Main Line services are accelerated by up to 17 minutes, and selected additional calls are introduced at intermediate stations between Perth and Aberdeen. A new station at Conon Bridge between Muir of Ord and Dingwall is expected to open during the currency of this timetable. Table 28 & 29 From table 29 we have removed a number of station rows including Barton trains, Barton buses and East Midlands services between Grimsby and Barnetby. A new table 28 is created which should be showing services covering Cleethorpes, Barton-on-Humber and Barnetby, including the Barton-on-Humber, Hull bus link. Table 74 & 75 All services from table 74 have been included in table 75. As a result, table 74 is no longer used and the following stations have been added to table 75; •Sandwell & Dudley •Bilbrook •Codsall •Albrighton •Shifnal •Oakengates Dovey Junction is no longer a request stop. Table 130 & Table 130A The Cardiff Queen Street to Cardiff Bay shuttle service has been removed from table 130. The table 130 is now shown in its own separate table 130A.

Just had a look at the Chiltern timetable. Blimey - that's come a long way since I last saw it!

Though why on earth does it allow up to 12 mins for Aylesbury to AVP (1040 departure)? It's only just over two miles, and in 11 mins the train has previously gone double the distance from Rickmansworth to Chalfont and with a stop inbetween! Even the more typical 9 minutes seems excessively generous!

Edit - I get it; they're not being very subtle about adding in the slack time. The return journey is 4 mins, which is the same as Aylesbury to Stoke Mandeville. Stoke Mandeville to Aylesbury also takes 4 mins, or else 7 mins if the train is terminating at Aylesbury!

This is the normal, although rather controversial, practice on most routes. Recovery time is added between the final stops on a train's journey so as to try and ensure that the train arrives on time at it's final destination..